The Governor’s Office of Student Achievement released official results from their investigation into cheating on the state 2009 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT). The AJC is hosting an online tool for you to check the results for your school. Click here to do a search.
In my quick assessment, I found many DeKalb schools were flagged for suspicious levels of "wrong to right" answer changes. A partial list includes: Browns Mill, Canby Lane, Cedar Grove, Dunaire, Eldridge, Glen Haven, Hooper Alexander, Laurel Ridge, McLendon, Rainbow, Redan, Rock Chapel, Rockbridge, Shadow Rock, Stoneview, Toney and Panola Way.
If you are interested in the 2010 CRCT results for your school, you can find that data by clicking this AJC link.
I am confused. Is this new data? Or is this the data that was released last year?
ReplyDeleteIf it is the data that was released last year, and I think it is, then DeKalb's investigation was finished months ago.
However, the state has decided to hold up releasing the results until the City of Atlanta and Dougherty County mess is straightened out. Given that the Governor has appointed two attornies to investigate those two sytems and the GBI is involved, I think the decision of the state to wait is unfair.
But no one asked me.
And it isn't just DeKalb's results that are being held up, it is the results of all the schools where the number of severe classrooms resulted in an investigation.
ReplyDeleteInteresting list! Where are most of the DeKalb schools listed, located in the county?
ReplyDeleteActually, I can't tell when this "tool" was created at the AJC. It may have been there for a while and we just didn't notice. But if you're interested, check your school's results. I didn't notice any labeled "serious" - some were "minimal" - most "moderate". Many have been "cleared"...
ReplyDeleteFor the AJC's announcement of the investigation, read this article from Feb 12 -
CRCT cheating details revealed
It gives a bit of the DeKalb history - you know, the cheating principal and AP who Dr. Lewis sent out a systemwide memo encouraging everyone to send a note of support...
On a late June day two years ago, two DeKalb County school administrators panicked.
A few dozen of their elementary school students had just finished high-stakes summer retests — exams first taken in spring but not passed. With just a glance at the answer sheets, Atherton Elementary School Principal James Berry and Assistant Principal Doretha Alexander saw they were in trouble.
“We cannot not make AYP,” Alexander said. Not making AYP, or adequate yearly progress, meant not meeting a required federal benchmark. These students, all fifth-graders, also faced being held back if they did not pass.
“OK,” Berry answered. He pulled a pencil from a cup on Alexander’s desk. “I want you to call the answers to me.”
With that, he began to erase the students’ answers.
Here is the AJC article from Feb 2010 with the list of schools identified as severe, that is that there was a clear enough pattern that cheating seems likely.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-schools-on-states-295379.html
DeKalb's school on the list. The percentage indicates the percentage of classrooms that were flagged with wrong-to-right changes that fell well above the state average.
* Cedar Grove Middle, 35.00%
* Dekalb Path Academy, 25.00%
* Dekalb Truancy, 66.70%
* Glen Haven Elementary, 44.90%
* Shadow Rock Elementary, 40.00%
* Stoneview Elementary, 48.10%
So it was 6 schools, one of which is a start up charter school and the other is a tiny program (truancy.) Compare that to the City of Atlanta which had 43 schools on the list and has lots fewer schools than DeKalb to begin with.
Yep - Atlanta is in a world of hurt. I think that our principal who was caught and plead guilty to cheating was really about the only truly bad one. I really do have faith in our teachers in the classroom. There is currently pressure from "above" to give out undeserved grades (remember the MLK story featuring Frankie Callaway pressuring an administrator and a teacher to change a grade?) Sadly, in that case, the poor teacher lost her job. She was a Georgia Tech educated math teacher!!
ReplyDeleteIt is strange to see the school name Hooper Alexander on the list as it actually housed DeKalb Elementary School of the Arts. This could have been for the last year it was in that site as it moved to Terry Mill in the Fall of 2009. The data must be that for the 2008-2009 school year in the 2009 report.
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:16 you are correct.
ReplyDeleteCere
The principal you refer to was actually caught on the summer retest for the 2008 CRCT.
That is what makes this whole thing so mind boggling. That there would be cheating after several principals were caught and identified and fired and one arrested, that people would still cheat.
Are any of the schools listed in SCW's or Zepora's district?
ReplyDeletethis is ANCIENT news and we blogged on it long agon. What are your motives for dredging it up now?
ReplyDeleteAll the results and the ability to search have been posted on the AJC for many months.
My understanding is the DCSS promptly investigated and responded to the GA DOE in a timely and responsible manner. GA DOE was happy with DCSS's response and corrective action.
No motive. I just hadn't seen this "tool" before - and noticed the article at the AJC. I am sorry for confusing anyone. I really do think that this is simply a continuation of our conversations regarding cheating.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct - we've have blogged about this many times before -
Test cheating probe...How?
DeKalb DA opens investigation of CRCT scores
CRCT Scores Released
CRCT cheating hurts children and society
CRCT cheating details revealed - “I want you to call the answers to me”
So what does everyone think about Frankie Callaway (remember the MLK story featuring Frankie Callaway pressuring an administrator and a teacher to change a grade?) now serving as the director of the Leadership Preparatory Academy in DCSS?
ReplyDeletePlus Frankie walked away with not even a reprimand on her personnel file, a public thank you for her dedicated service and her full pension. She is now happily double dipping at $125 K per year in a school with about 185 students. She leaves behind in DCSS a covey of relatives drawing down nice fat salaries. Life really can be sweet if you are "in the know".
ReplyDeleteLaurel Ridge surprised me by being on the initial list reported. But after looking at the data, there doesn't seem to be a need to highlight this school. Looks like from the AJC info, the issues were in one maybe two first grade classrooms, out of the whole school.
ReplyDeleteThe school is technically cleared. There was only an issue with the Language arts and reading portion of the test. I wish this name wasn't reported, it scared and concerned me as a resident of this school's neighborhood. It was needless worry on my part, it seems.
Laurel Ridge has consistently made exceeds expectations and is a great school!
Every school is on that chart, anon.
ReplyDeleteMany have zero classrooms with issues.
Cere, please stop printing these lies that you all received from the liar Crawford Lewis concerning Ms. Alexander. None of you know what happened. You only know what the liar Lewis and the AJC printed, therefore if you don't have proof, please STOP!!!!
ReplyDeleteAlexander was an Asst. Principal, trusted to educate students, not to change test scores. Even if she was under pressure from the principal. Ethics matter.
ReplyDeleteWe will see what happens when you get thrown under the bus. However, for now we will just continue to watch your school system go to Hell!
ReplyDeleteIn looking at these percentages I got a little scared as I have a few of my special education students who always make a mess of there scantron sheets and always make lots of eraser marks.
ReplyDeleteWe used to always be told to erase tray pencil marks they made also before turning them in as our kids sometimes make many marks on their sheets. I will never have my studentserase anything ever again like stray pencil marks on tests.
Some students do just erase frequently also. It depends on the student. I am sure there are some false positives in these situations where there really is no cheating. I guess I am just a special education teacher but I do see a great deal of erasing sometimes and there is no cheating going on so it makes me wonder about this whole process.
of their scantrons
ReplyDeleteI am not an English teacher for sure.
To anon @7:12opm, I was speaking of the initial list in the article Cerebration wrote:
ReplyDelete"In my quick assessment, I found many DeKalb schools were flagged for suspicious levels of "wrong to right" answer changes. A partial list includes: ...,Laurel Ridge,..."
Honestly, if you don't have anything else to say about the subject matter at hand...
Speaking of old news just now being discovered and discussed - watch this Channel 2 report about a study conducted with the mission of debunking the AJC's findings on Atlanta school's cheating --
ReplyDeletehttp://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid374676104001?bclid=1717763711&bctid=673366428001
The findings, however, validated the AJCs report and the new study was buried (after having been delivered to Dr Hall over 6 months ago!)
More on this in the AJC tomorrow.